Display card holder for merchandise



W. CHRISTIAN DISPLAY CARD HOLDER FOR MERCHANDISE Sept. 20, 1938.

Filed Dec 17, 1937 ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 20, 1938 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in display cardholders for merchan disc, and has particular relation to a holder formounting price or display cards on merchandise in stores, such forexample as in grocery stores and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive meanswhich can be easily and quickly applied to or removed from variousarticles, which will not deteriorate in use, and which will effectivelyhold a price or other card on an article of merchandise in such mannerand position as to be clearly visible and yet not easily knocked down orblown down or away.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein satisfactory embodiments of the inventionare shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations andmodifications as fall within the scope of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing the holder of the inventionmounting a card on a can, the upper portion only of the latter beingshown;

Fig. 2 is a similar view but at right angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. .3 is an elevational view showing a modified construction of holdermounting a card on a can, portions of which are broken away;

Fig. 4 is a view similar but at right angles to Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the device of theinvention as applied to the mounting of a card on a bottle or the like;

Fig. 6 is a View taken at right angles to Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view showing particularly the card receivingportion of my improved holder;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of V the holder as shown in Fig. 7;and

Fig. 9 is a detail view showing a slight modification.

Referring in detail to the drawing and at first more particularly toFigs. 1, 2, 7 and 8 my improved holder generally designated .11] isshown .as mounted on the upper portion of a can or the like I I, andsupportingacard L2 in position above the top of the can. The holder lincludes not only means for holding a card but also means whereby theholder is mounted on an article, .as on the .can H. In making theholdera piece .of wire, preferably .a somewhat springy .or resilientwire, is bent upon itself at spaced points intermediate its ends toprovide return bends I3 at each end of a curved portion l4 and a pair ofcurved arm portions l and 16 extending toward one another insubstantially parallel relation tothe portion 14.

The portions of the wire at the inner ends of the arm portions l5 and itare twisted together to provide a vertical substantially rigid shank I1from the lower ends of which the end portions of the wire are carriedlaterally in opposite directions providing portions [8 and [9. The freeends of portions l8 and I9 are connected by a coil spring 20 which tendsto draw such portions toward one another, and when the device is on acan as in Figs. 1 and 2 draws portions 18 and I9 against the sides ofthe can whereby the latteris gripped by said portions and by the springand the card 12 properly supported. The spring 20 is somewhat stretchedor tcnsioned when the holder is on a can or the like.

Portion l4 together with arm portions l5 and Hi provides a pair ofcurved arms extending laterally and downwardly in opposite directionsfrom the stem or shank ll. Such arm portions includespaced substantiallyparallel members and the connecting end portions l3 at the lower outerends of the arms. With particular reference to Figs. 1 3 .11 Will benoted that the laterally extending arms are curved downwardly as theyextend outwardly whereby the connecting portions l3 are not'only theiroutermost portions but also their lowermost portions. The edge of card12 is inserted between arm portions i l and I5 and LB, and is held bythe above mentioned arm portions acting jointly, and the lower edge ofthe card is supported at spaced apart points by resting on theconnecting end portions 1 3 of the arms.

Thus the card is supported from rocking edgewise in either directionandthe card being partly between the side portions of the arms it isprevented from falling forward or backward. Moreover, due to theirresilient action the side portions of the arms grip the card to preventit blowing away or the like and hold it in proper position. However, ifa relatively thick card is forced into the arms the ,sides thereof maybe forced apart ,suificiently so as not to come back to their originalposition when the card is removed and so might not properly hold a thinnr ca dthis should happen .theycan be :brought back to their originalposition by 'Squeezing them toward one another by ripping them with thethumb and fingeriadjacent theconnecting portions 13 wherefrom anyarticle.

by to bend them back into a close parallel relationship.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 3 and 4 a card holder generallydesignated 2| is shown as mounting a card 22 on a container or the like23. Holder 2| is also of wire and includes a shank 24 and the armportions l4, l5 and I6 together with the connecting end portions 13 asin the case of the holder first described. Below the shank 24 the wireof holder 2| has one of its ends bent laterally and then downwardly toprovide an offset hook-like portion 25 designed to hook over the upperflange 26 of can 23 as shown, the edge of a cardboard, or other article.The other end portion 21 of the wire is extended to lie along the sideof the can 23 and to its free end is connected one end of a coil spring28 to the other end of which is connected a hook-like member 29 designedto hook over the lower flange 39 of the can 23, or the lower edge of acardboard, stiff paper, or other article.

Holder 23 supports the card 22 in the same manner as that described whenreferring to the holder Ill-of the figures first described. In applyingholder 2| to a container, such for ex-' ample as the can 23, the hook 29is engaged with the'lower flange of the can and then by drawing upwardlyto tension spring 28 the upper hook 25 may be passed over the upperflange of the can leaving the spring 28 tensioned and therebymaintaining the hooks in overlapping relation with the can flanges. Itwill be seen this form can be used with cans or articles of any diameterand of various lengths. It also is not limited to use on round cans orarticles but is equally adapted for use on square cans or other shapes.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a construction the same as that of Figs. 1 and 2 withthe exception that the holder of Figs. 5 and 6, generally designated 3|,is designed for use on bottles or other articles 32 having a smalldiameter neck portion, and therefore is provided with relatively shortfree end portions 33 and a relatively short coil spring 34. Otherwisethe construction of Figs. 5 and 6 being the same as that of Figs. 1 and2 the same reference characters have been applied, and it will beunderstood that the card 35 of Figs. 5 and 6 is supported in the samemanner as the card I2 first described.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the holder of theinvention may be easily and quickly applied to and removed from cans,bottles and other articles of merchandise. Also it will be clear thatthe holder may be applied to a wide variety of shapes and sizes ofarticles. The holder may be transferred from one article to another, asit is but necessary to stretch the coil spring slightly in order torelease the holder The card being held by the holder is in each instanceheld in such manner that it will not tilt unless forced to thatposition, and being gripped between the side portions of the arms of theholder will not be blown out of place by gusts of wind. Qther resilientelements can be used in place of the springs 2|], Hand 34, such forexample as an elastic rubber, but the metal spring is preferred as itdoes not deteriorate as a rubber would.

Any suitable means may be employed to connect the ends of the springs20, 28 and 34 to the wires, a simple loop or eye being shown in Figs. 1to 8. In Fig. 9 is shown a simple connection which permits easyadjustment of the spring on the wire to vary the size of the holder soas to be able to use it for a larger number of devices. In

this arrangement the end of the wire 38 is bent upon itself as shown at36 and then the free end 31 is bent outwardly to lie between adjacentconvolutions of the spring 39. By relatively turning the spring and wirethis free end travels along the spiral convolutions thus shortening orlengthening the effective length of the spring. This connection may beused at either end of the spring or both ends thereof as desired. Thewire indicated at 38 having the bent portion 36 and end 31 may be eitherone of the wires l8, I9, 21, 29 or 33 while the spring 39 may be eitherone of the springs 20, 28 or 34.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a card holder, a wire having its intermediate portion bent uponitself to provide a pair of spaced portions connected at their outerends and forming arms extending downwardly toward said outer ends, saidportions adapted to receive a card between them with the lower edge ofthe card resting on their connected end portions, said wire having itsportions inwardly of its arm forming portions twisted together to form ashank, and a spring connected with the free ends of such wire forsecuring it to an article.

2. In a card holder, a wire having its intermediate portion bent uponitself to provide a pair of spaced portions connected at their outerends and forming arms extending downwardly toward said outer ends, saidportions adapted to receive a card between them with the lower edge ofthe card resting on their connected end portions, said Wire having itsportions inwardly of its arm forming portions twisted together toprevent casual opening of the side portions of said arms and having itsfree ends extending in opposite directions, and a coil spring connectedwith the free ends of said wire for securing the latter to an article.

3. In a card holder, a Wire having its intermediate portion bent uponitself to provide a pair of spaced portions connected at their outerends forming arms, said portions curving downwardly toward their outerends whereby such ends are lowermost, said portions adapted to receive acard between them with the lower edge of the card resting on theirconnected end portions, said. wire having its portions inwardly of itsarm forming portions twisted together to prevent casual opening of saidarm portions, and means for securing said wire to an article.

4. In a card holder, a wire having its intermediate portion bent toprovide U-shaped oppositely directed arms the connecting portions ofwhich are outermost, said arms extending downwardly toward their outerends and adapted to receive a card between their side portions andresting on their connecting portions, said wire having its portionsinwardly of said arms twisted together to form an upstanding shank, anda coil spring connected with the free ends of said wire for securing itto an article.

5. In a card holder, a wire having its intermediate portion bent uponitself toprovide a pair of spaced portions connected at their outer endsand forming arms extending downwardly toward said outer ends, saidportions adapted to receive a card between them with the lower edge ofthe card resting on their connected outer .end portions, said wirehaving its portions inwardly of its arm forming portions twistedtogether to form a shank, said wire having an end bent to overlie aflange of a container, a coil spring connected with the other end of thewire to be disposed at the side of said container, and a hook alsoconnected with said coil spring to hook over an opposite flange of thecontainer.

6. A card holder of wire comprising a shank, outwardly and downwardlycurved arms extending from opposite sides of said shank and eachcomprising spaced side portions and an outer end connecting portionwhereby a card received between their side portions may rest on theirconnected outer end portions, and elastic means connected with saidshank for securing the holder to an article.

7. A card holder comprising a wire twisted to form a shank, said wire atone end of the shank being bent to form members arranged side by side toreceive the edge of a card between them and grip the card, the free endsof the wire at the other end of the shank extending in oppositedirections, and a resilient member connecting the said free ends toclamp the holder to an article.

8. A card holder comprising a wire twisted to form a shank, said wire atone end of the shank being bent to form members arranged side by side toreceive the edge of a card between them and grip the card, a hook onsaid shank adapted to engage over a flange on an article, a second hookspaced from the first hook adapted to engage over another flange, and aresilient element between said hooks to retain them on the flanges.

9. A card holder comprising a wire forming a shank, said wire at one endof the shank being bent to form members arranged side by side to receivethe edge. of a card between them and grip the card, a portion at theother end of the shank being bent upon itself with its free endextending laterally outward, said shank also having means to engage anarticle, a spring embracing said bent end with said free end positionedbetween adjacent convolutions of the spring, and means connected to theother end of the spring to engage an article and cooperate therewith andsaid first means to secure the holder to the article.

WILLIAM CHRISTIAN.

